Ink
by Ghost Assist
Summary: Rose summons a witch in a very strange way. Inspired by classical fairy tales, and the book "InkHeart" by Cornelia Funke.
1. Once Upon A Time

_**O** nce upon a time, there was an extraordinary girl who was able to move from the realm of the Fae to the realm of the living. She was not of this world, nor was she of that. At most, beings from the realm of the living mistook her for one of the Fae people. Her light eyes, and her dark skin was an oddity. The Fae people shared similar thoughts. For she was too sweet, and too honest to be one of their kin. She was what you called a "Witch."_

"How much is for that do-hickey?" Rose's mother called beside her. She's pointing at an old pager from the 90's. The garage seller doesn't even give it a glace before calling, "Fifty cents for everything on that table."

"What about this old book?" Rose shouted out. This time, the owner turned towards the mother-and-daughter duo. He shrugged and replied, "Uh, I don't care for books. Take all you want, I don't want them around."

Rose gave a satisfied smile, folded a little corner of the page, and tucked the thin paperback under her arm. Her arm reached out for the next book on the pile.

* * *

Rose is not the biggest fan of fairy tales, or at least the washed out versions of fairy tales. She often found herself lulled to sleep by the happy-ever-afters or the true-love's-first-kiss scenarios going on with Hollywood. Rose's true fascination was brought out when a tale would emphasize the dangers of magic and spells. She craved the beauty in curses, and horrors of blessings. Rose found the irony in loving the villain, because without them, there would be not tale to spin.

With every lost realm, forbidden land, elusive inhabitant, guardian of ancient grounds; Rose found herself drone into this old world of fairy tales. Some would say that she was in love.

 _The witch lived life peacefully in both worlds. However, she was unable to control her power to move from realm to realm. This resulted in her interaction with both realms. To the witch, everything was well. Everything was not well at all. Upon the witches retreat into the realm of the Fae people, the beings of the living plotted her demise. To them, the witch was a threat, a bad omen awaiting its inevitable coming._

 _The people were weary of the witch's developing power. Often, the witch would disappear into a nothingness, only to appear once again. This nothingness is what they thought they feared. The beings of the living had thought that a world surrounded by nothing a fate most cruel. With every interaction with the witch, their fears grew more and more. But what the beings didn't realize is that their true fear was not of the nothingness._

 _Once again, the witch vanished right before a crowd of people. Putting their plan into action, the people threw dry wood and grass into the perimeter the witch stood. It was only a matter of minutes before the bright-eyed creature would return. The bravest lad stepped forward when the people were done with the pile, and held a single torch in his hand._

 _They waited._

Rose sighed in content as she pressed her finger to the sentence that caught her attention. "This nothingness is what they thought they feared," the teen repeated. Rose nodded in mutual agreement. She decided to write down quote and its page number in her inspiration journal.

 _An unnatural light emits from the space the witch stood. The witch reveals herself to the people of the living unaware of their nefarious plan._

 _The boy drops the torch onto the pile below, and a mighty fire bursts underneath the witch. In horror, the witch looks down, and sobs as her clothes catches fire. Her anguish cry echoes loudly throughout the town, and the cheers of the people grew silent._

 _For people of the living had thought they feared the nothingness of space the witch created. They feared her sudden absence; they feared a fate worse than death. They feared the unknown force that moved the witch from realm to realm. They feared loneliness._

 _Yes, this was the greatest fear of these people. They will not come to realize that what they truly feared was the loneliness of separation. The loneliness of never really belonging to one world. They feared the separation of their loved ones. They feared the witch girl because in her, they saw something that can happen to anyone._

 _Despite the witches wailing, she did not burn. No, she did not hurt. She had thought that she found a place that accepted her, a place where she belonged. Now, she realized, she was only an ominous presence. A tale passed down from parent to child. "The witch will take you to the nothingness."_

 _And with that thought, the witch takes the ashes, and smothers her dark face. Her face was covered with coal, and her eyes burned bright, and with her new found angry, she took all of the children. She took the innocent children of the town, and lifted them. With a bright flash of green, the witch and the children had gone to the land of the Fae._

 _The witch then realizes this was the first time she had full control of her ability._

Unable to contain herself, Rose began reading the book aloud. She read carefully, yet lively. She read as if the events in the book was of life, and not of fiction:

 _"And in the land of the Fae, the witch rested. The children, unaware that they are no longer home, began chasing one another. The witch wipes the ashes off her face, and sighs._

 _She sits, and watches the human children run and play with the Fae people. She had once thought herself as human, but evidently she will not be accepted as such. In time, the Fae people bore of the children, and depart into the deeper parts of the realm._

 _Then, the sun sets upon the world, and the witch sends the children back to their mothers. For the greatest pain in the world is a lonely child._

 _The witch stares into the night sky of the Fae's world. She realizes that she does not belong in either world at all. For she cannot bear to live with the curses and murmurs of the Fae world, and that she will not be accepted in the realm of the living._

 _So the witch ascends into the heavens that watches both worlds. She ascends higher, and higher until she cannot see the top of houses, nor the tips of mountains. Higher and higher she goes, until she too becomes the nothingness of the sky."_

Rose read the last paragraph in a soft whisper. Her eyes wide, and a slight grimace adorned her face. The tale ends the same way most fairy tales end: crappy. Usually, Rose is satisfied with the ending, but she felt a tug at her heartstrings during the end of this story. Surely, the witch could have at least kept the children as punishment to the townsfolk.

Rose, with her infinite wisdom, grabbed a pencil from her bedside table. She wrote:

 _The witch then learns of other worlds, of other realms. For the realms had always twinkled silently above the lonely witch, waiting for her to visit them. The witch looks upon the brightest star and ascends towards it. There, she will see that even in nothingness of the dark, there is a light."_

Rose frowned, and tossed the paperback onto the bedside table. "That was too cliché for my liking," Rose mumbled under her breath.

Oh well, it's sort of a happy ending. Rose stretched and yawned. She tossed her covers, and flopped onto her bed. Her eyes glare at the ceiling above her. "She too becomes the nothingness of the sky," Rose said bitterly. She had something to complain about to Kanaya in the morning. Rose's ending kicked the original ending in the groin.

Then, the teen's eyes began to fall shut. She attempted reach for the nightlight before she clocked out, but Rose immediately fell fast asleep. It seemed as if a spell had lulled her into bed. The room began to shake violently. A soft glow of green light emits from the paperback.

The paperback falls onto the floor. It flips to the last page of the story. The small passage that Rose had wrote underneath the story shines a bright purple light. Then, the light changes to green, then to white.

A pair of green eyes opened.


	2. Life After

Life was strange after Rose had written in the old fairytale book. There was a lot in the world that seemed out of place, but Rose couldn't put her finger on it. Instead, the blonde would wistfully skim over the pages of the book, over and over again. There was something missing, Rose thought. The ending she wrote didn't seem to capture what she wants to happen in the story. But how did Rose want to end this tale? Abiding from the story's rules the ending would have been perfect, but Rose wanted a bit more than that.

For some reason, Rose wanted the lonely witch to belong in a world that accepted her.

"Great, another fictional character I seem to harbor affections for," Rose said grudgingly. It's stupid, she has always been attached to characters before, but this is the first time such a character captured her attention merely through three pages. Rose didn't feel this strongly for the other stories! She didn't think about the dragon from page fourteen or the pirate captain from page eight! No, Rose's mind continuously and redundantly thought about the banished witch.

So every night, Rose read the story again, and again, and again. She read it before she left for school, she read it after she completed homework. Rose read these words aloud like it was the gospel and she was the preacher delivering it. Rose read until her throat went dry. The determined teen plotted the ending over and over again. All of her maps, and her notes related only to one thing, and that was the best ending for the witch. Since Rose received the book three months ago, she has been obsessed with this book.

"Rose, c'mon. You have to get out of that room of yours and go hang out with your friends or something," Rose's mother said to during dinner. "You're too caught up in your writing now-a-days, Rose. Even the greatest writers had to take a break," Rose's parental figure lectured.

"I'm fine, I'm just having a rough writer's block is all," Rose replied as she stuffed a spoonful of dinner into her mouth. Her eyes were concentrated on the yellow notepad in front of her. It read:

The witched traveled past the emptiness of this bleak dimension. Quiet and alone, the witch made her journey to the source of this light. Her world drifted farther away, and her powers grew weaker and weaker. She remembers that a long, long time ago, there were multiple worlds and her people were the guardians of the gates. Yes… This was the truth. The witch could not recall anything more, for when she heard that old tale, she was just a child. The witch wondered, why one particular world glowed brighter than the rest.

In the nothingness, the witch thought about many things. She drifted for what felt like years until she was so close to this new world. A thin veil surrounds the entity of the new world, and the witch placed a single finger past it. She realized that her magic was draining in this world.

The witch had found herself in a new world, but in that world her magic would never work. If she were to descend upon this planet, her powers and her ability to return home would vanish. But how could the witch ever return to a place where she doesn't belong? To be an alien in the world in which you were born in was a heartbreaking experience for the witch. She can never go back. She can only move forward.

So the witch approaches this world, and the bright light it emits. Certainly, this would be her new home. One where she would never be ridiculed, one where she would finally break free of the loneliness in her heart.

Rose stared at the piece until her mother called next to her," Goodness Rose. Stare at that any longer and you'll open a wormhole to the next dimension," Rose's mom joked casually. "It looks fine, Rose darling, you're a good writer. So chill."

Rose sighed. "I'm not really happy with this though. I'm not happy with any of the material for this story," Rose said wearily. "I'm just so tired of all of this writing, I want to stop."

Rose's mom looked to her daughter and laughed. "Then stop! You're not obligated to finish something that stresses you out! I'd be real upset if I spent four hours in front of a screen, or notebook or something, just glaring at whatever's in front of me," Rose's mom advised wisely.

"I suppose that I tend to get carried away by my hobbies," Rose groaned as she held up her cup of coffee. She swayed the mug dangerously, and the heated liquid was close to spilling out.

"Rose, look out. You're going to burn yourself again, sweetheart," the responsible parent warned.

"Shit," Rose cursed.

"Damn it Rose, don't curse in front of your parents!" the responsible parent said.

Rose giggled and her mom wrapped an arm around her. "See, chill out. You have too much things to think about, so take a break from all this writing and go talk to your friends."

Rose rolled her eyes, but grinned. She grabbed her belongings, (a notebook and her purple pen) and gave her mom just one more hug. "I'll be in my room playing video games with my friends," she said as she got up from her seat.

"Good! Screw all of those productive hobbies like writing or editing! Go do something anti-productive like the good child you are," the older Lalonde woman replied.

Rose nodded as she left the dinner room. Her mother was such a whimsical woman, but her knowledge and advice was always wise. Rose sped her way toward her room, and sat down by her desk. Slowly, the teen began taking all of her writing notes down. One by one, she pulled the old sticky notes that were plastered all around her workstation. She then placed them in between the cover and the first page of the old story book. Finally, Rose opened the bottom drawer of her desk, and gently placed the book down. She sighed contently and grabbed her laptop from one of the other compartments.

Fortunately, Kanaya and John seemed to both be online. They seemed to the only ones online, so Rose pulled up a chat for all three of them.

* * *

 **TT** at 20:15 opened memo on board John, Kanaya let's chat for a bit.  
 **tentacleTherapist [TT]** responded to this memo.  
 **TT:** Hello. I apologize for not coming online for the past three months.  
 **TT:** I'm afraid that I have been too caught up my personal activities, but rest assured that I'm currently taking a break as of now.  
 **ectoBiologist [EB]** responded to this memo.  
 **EB:** whoa, no need to apologize rose!  
 **EB:** it's really nice to see you online again and all, but you shouldn't feel too guilty about it.  
 **EB:** you know what, i'm going to give you a hug tomorrow.  
 **EB:** also hi, rose!  
 **TT:** Hi John.  
 **TT:** And thank you, John. I shouldn't ruminate about such little things. Honestly, I felt as if I was neglecting my friends.  
 **grimAuxiliatrix [GA]** responded to this memo.  
 **GA:** It's Not As If We Don't See You Around School Rose.  
 **EB:** hey, kanaya!  
 **GA:** Hello John.  
 **TT:** Hello Kanaya.  
 **GA:** Hello Rose.  
 **GA:** As I Was Saying…  
 **GA:** You're Behavior These Past Few Months Have Been Peculiar, But I'm Sure That All Of Us Have Come To Accept Your Oddities. Please Disregard Any Negative Emotions You Possess Pertaining to Your Relationship With Your Friends.  
 **EB:** every body don't panic, i can understand maryamian.  
 **TT:** John, you don't have too.  
 **EB:** no i must. not every one is proficient at maryam speak as i am.  
 **TT:** Really, John it's fine.  
 **EB:** translation: kanaya thinks that even if you do weird stuff, we love you for it so don't ever change, rose. also, ignore those dark feelings about neglecting your friends because it's dumb.  
 **GA:** Thank You John. Rose Needed Such A Divine Translator. I Should Hire You.  
 **GA:** I Especially Loved The "because it's dumb" Line You Wonderfully Pulled From the Magnificent Brain of Yours.  
 **TT:** Sentimental dorks, the both of you… But I suppose I am too, because the smile on my face is enormous.  
 **EB:** heh, we'll be here all night.  
 **GA:** Or Not.  
 **EB:** fine! i'll have my new best bud jade on my act!  
 **GA:** I Guess The Harley Girl Would Amuse Your Antics For A While, But Eventually She Too Would Inevitably Join The No-Nonsense Side Of Life.  
 **EB:** no!  
 **TT:** Jade Harley?  
 **EB:** oh yeah.  
 **EB:** you've been in the library these past few months so you've never met jade yet.  
 **TT:** Is she a new addition into our ever expanding group of friends?  
 **GA:** I Recommend That You Approach Her. She Stares At You Sometimes When You Are Studying Alone.  
 **TT:** Hmm, Kanaya I'm sure that it would be ill-advised to introduce someone who possess psychopathically characteristics to a friend.  
 **EB:** i'm pretty sure jade's just interested in your book.  
 **EB:** she asked me about it a few days ago.  
 **TT:** Okay. I think I would like to meet a fellow fairytale enthusiast.

The following conversation then turned to books, then to school, then to school gossip. John and Kanaya don't seem like the people to follow up on which teacher is cheating on their diet, but they do. It felt really nice to take a break. However, occasionally Rose's thoughts would return to the book by her bed side. Maybe she should really introduce herself to the new girl John and Kanaya was talking about.


	3. Beginning

When Rose was just a child, she would read countless books. She remembers reading out loud simple books with a fumbling grasp of the English language. Her voice would break, and some words would slip into a mumble. She was able to read carefully, but not fluidly. It took time for the sentences to flow seemingly; to make mere words bring life to worlds. The soothing cadence in Rose's voice definitely did not develop overnight. It was a craft. A love of words and the love of reading that was simply magical. It took years and years but the Rose's ability to read became extraordinary. Her voice rose and fell just at the right moments and when the story desired her to be emotionless and cold, Rose would do so. But within that same second that monotone voice would change to one that is bursting with life and energy.

Rose really did love to read out loud. Really, it brings the story to life.

"I really should sleep now," Rose mumbled to herself. Her voice cracked awkwardly, and during her reading session she had developed a sore throat. She looked at the clock beside her bed and yawned loudly. Rose untangled her legs and gently placed her bedtime novel on her desk. She stretched her long legs in front of her, shuffled on her bed, and then flopped down so that her face is engulfed by the pillow.

"It's always a horrible idea staying up past bedtime, Rosey-dear," the teen said with a voice mimicking the laid back attitude of her mother.

Rose turned around so that her back is completely flat against the bed. She breathed slowly and lets herself relax into the blanket. She closed her eyes. Then opened them right up again.

"Wait a minute," Rose attempted to say despite her sore throat.

"I need to write this down," she said shoving the blanket from her body and throwing her pillow aside. She seated herself at her desk and opened the first drawer in a hurry. She pulled out the worn out fairy tale book, her journal and one of her purple pens.

"I never wanted to write an ending," Rose said. "I wanted to write a completely different story," Rose said with a tired voice. However once she began to write, her hand began to cramp but Rose did not want to stop. Her wrist ached, but her thoughts were chugging through pulling her tired body along. When inspiration comes knocking at your door, be prepared for inspiration to knock you down too.

Rose sped through, writing every thought and every line that went through her head. She just could not stop herself. For some irrational reason, Rose felt like there was something more to this character. There was something important. Of course like what her mother said, breaks were important, but when a writer breaks through a writer's block, there is no stopping the indestructible typhoon blowing.

Why in fact, was this character so important to Rose? She had felt pity and anger for other characters who had unjust endings, but she had never felt so strongly before. Perhaps, this was just one of the things is Rose's life that doesn't make sense, but feels so right. She's always been an impulsive girl despite her composed façade. And maybe this is just another outlet, another way to calm those sudden impulses. But no, Rose's obsession feels like a duty. As if she's trying to guide the witch from her horrible destiny. Who knows? Rose definitely doesn't. So Rose goes along with what she do knows and that's writing. And what Rose wanted to write was not an ending but a beginning. Rose was unsatisfied because she didn't want the story to end. She wants more for this witch. She didn't want to abandon her in a new world with no friends, and no happiness. Isn't that what Rose wanted in the first place?

She wrote until her wrists cannot write any longer. Once the last word was written Rose lets out a long sigh. The author cleared out her throat, and held up her work in front of her. And now she read:

 _Ink_

 _The story about a young witch in a world without magic._

 _Once upon a time, there was a young witch who was casted away from her home world. She was not worried about the people she left behind. She did not want to think about them anymore. That world was filled with magic and wonders, with two kinds of realms between them. But the people were skeptical of everything and the fae were unloving._

 _The witch was once filled with grief, but now she sees that she can only move on from the torment of that world. She wants to be something greater than them._

 _And so the witch found another world. Another place. This one had no magic, no other realms. At first, the witch was apprehensive about the new planet. Certainly, she can find another one that will let her keep her magic abilities. But, there was a sparkle to this world, a small abnormal light that interested the witch. And despite the woes her magic has caused her, she loved her magic. It was all she had left. It was the only part of herself that was powerful. But she did not want to be powerful at all. She wanted to belong, and if that meant parting with her magic then so be it. With all her might, the witch released the powers into the void, creating a beam of green light that surrounded her. And then, it was gone. The witch could not look at her past any longer. Once her magic was lost, she began descending. Farther and farther down she went, and the numerous lights in the sky were no longer visible._

 _This was the world she had chosen. This world might finally become her home. Not the world with two realms, not the people with fire, not the fae with cold hearts. At last she had a new home. A new beginning._

 _The witch's eyes lit up as she fell into this new world. All she saw was the blue from the sky above and the green from the earth below. And somewhere on the earth, the light was still shining. So the witch did her best to fall towards that light. Surely, she made the best decision. She hopes she did. Maybe she will be happy here._

Rose's voice was aching by the time she finished. This… is not bad. It's not good either. Rose was determined to give this witch a story she deserved. However, it feels like something was missing. Rose leaned into her chair and pulled the journal closer. She goes over the introduction a few times. What was missing? Of course, she's going to add more plot later, so that wasn't it.

Then, Rose's eyes widen and she nodded. She slammed the journal down on the table and pulled out her laptop. Rose knew the URL by heart and typed it out without any error. What sort of author writes a story without giving their main character a name?

Of course, Rose can give the witch a name later. Really she did not need to do this so early in the morning. But it felt so important to give her a name. Why? Rose wasn't certain. She can't remember the countless times she finished writing a story without naming her character. This time around, it felt like the most important thing.

Rose scrolled through the list and shook her head. Gina, nope. Anna? Too many N's. Sara, Evie, Lynn? No! None of these names seem to work! There is a perfect name out there. Somewhere. Rose was just not sure. She looked at the weary book and opened it. Rose sighed and mumbled tiredly, "If only there was a way for you to tell me your name, huh." She flipped to page where the witch's story began and read it once more.

"It's 4 a.m. and here I am obsessing over a fictional character. Oh how old habits die hard."

As Rose's eyes skimmed through the pages one name came up. Rose looked at her notebook laying on the table as if it was the item that gave her the idea. She let the old fairy tale book down and reached for her notebook. And in contrast to her quick paced writing from earlier, Rose wrote slowly and carefully. She didn't want the name to be sloppily written for some odd reason. In Rose's best penmanship, underneath the story of the witch read the name, "Jade."

The name of the girl John and Kanaya mentioned. This name was perfect. Absolutely perfect. It's not often Rose has a character whose name is similar to someone she might know in real life. It's awkward, but it's not like Rose is writing about the same person. So, Rose really isn't bothered by the strange coincidence. All she knows is that it's 4:30 in the morning and she has school tomorrow. Rose falls asleep.


	4. Curiosity

Since Rose was in the middle of a writing spree, she brought her writing journal and the fairy tale book to school with her. Normally if Rose had a story in mind, she would just jolt down her thoughts in whatever was in front of her, be it math notebook or English textbook. This time, Rose decided that the notes in her journal were too important. She wanted this story to be the best one yet, and was determined to get the most out of this inspiration jump.

"Rose!"

A strong pair of arms wrapped around Rose, and she immediately gave a hug back.

"You didn't forget my promise," John said after a loud laugh. "So, you still feeling bummed out buddy?"

"Look at her, John. She's positively radiating with happiness right now," Kanaya called from behind the duo.

Rose attempted to turn to the other girl, but John was still sticking to Rose like glue. When she turned around, John spun with her. For a guy who has never voluntarily went outdoors, he was very strong. It's nearly impossible to escape John's hug of death. With escape out of the question, Rose allowed John to rest his chin on her head. Darn tall people. She looked as Kanaya rolls her eyes to indicate her false annoyance.

"I see that you were being literal last evening," Kanaya said to John.

"What? I meant every word I said last night! I'm even going to ask Jade if she's wants to learn Maryamian," John teased.

"Oh yes. That reminds me... Rose, I'm very sure that the Harley girl would be overjoyed to meet you during our lunch break."

"What makes you say that?" Rose asked curiously.

Kanaya pulls a torn up piece of paper from her purse and handed it to Rose. "I honestly hate being nosy, but as I passed by Jade's locker this fell out. I think it the two of you share similar interests."

"What's in it?" John asked a second earlier than Rose. "Well Rose. Are you going to open it?" He looked at the paper in Rose's hands. "If you're not going to open it then this paper is mine now," John said pointing at the piece.

Rose rolled her eyes. Kanaya shrugged, looked over at John, walked up to him, and gently yanked him away from Rose.

"You can definitely read the paper on your own once Rose is done. Don't be so impatient," she scolded.

"Thanks, Kanaya." She unfolded the paper and smoothed the creases. "I'm not sure why you gave this to me instead of returning it…"

"I'm not sure why I was compelled to do so. But taking the paper to you felt… Right, I presume." The taller girl darted her eyes around the halls. She seemed to be trying to find an answer to her behavior, but eventually she gives up. "I'm not exactly sure why I feel this way, but for some reason you and Jade seem destined? Is that the word? Fated? I apologize. I'm making a right fool of myself. Niether am I making a lot of sense." For the first time, Kanaya appeared to be at a loss for words to say.

John stared quietly at the two girls until he suddenly bursted out, "It's Maryamian translation time."

"Rose, for some reason Kanaya wants you to get to know Jade. Honestly, so do I. We can't explain it, because there's nothing that's forcing us to think this way. We just do," John said shrugging.

"This is awfully cryptic of you two," Rose commented. "This isn't some elaborate prank of Dave's or something?"

"Not at all," Kanaya responded. "And thank you, John. I didn't realize that you too felt that there's something strange afloat."

"I bet the two of you are just worried about me," Rose theorized.

"Well, duh. Of course," John replied.

Nodding, Rose finally takes a peek at the paper in front of her.

"This language… It's quite familiar. It's obviously spells of some kind, but for what purpose?"

Her companions only shrug and wish her a good day. Class was starting very soon.


	5. Questions

"You named her Jade? Isn't that the name of the girl who transferred here three months ago?"

Rose groaned as she attempted to snatch her notebook back. For goodness sake, why does she even bother to have Dave read her writing if he wasn't going to give proper advice. "I don't know. Her name came up in a conversation, I thought the name fit the character, I used it. End of story," Rose grumbled.

"Rose, gossip isn't pretty," Dave said while he shook his head slowly.

"Good, because neither is your face," Rose shot back. "Can I have the notebook now?"

"Ouch. That hurt my feelings," Dave replied with no change to his expression at all. He slid the notebook back into Rose's hands.

"You know she stares at you—"

"Shut up, Dave," Rose said with a glare. She couldn't help the reddening of her cheeks. Rose knew she had a tendency to ignore the world around her if she was caught up in her writing, but for this many people to notice something Rose herself was oblivious to was unnerving to say the least.

"Just stating facts, Rose," Dave said, the hints of a smirk gracing the boy's usually flat facial expression. "No need to be so aggressive yo."

"Enough of this," Rose grimaced as she waved her hand. "The story. Any notes?" Rose asked as she ignored the previous conversation entirely.

"Yeah, a few," Dave said after he realized that his attempts at psychoanalyzing was failing desperately. "You keep writing about how this witch is going to be happy in this new world but jesus she's just talking to herself most of the time. Give her a dog or something, the poor girl is drowning in loneliness, Rose. Also, what the heck is this light and why is she so obsessed over it? I mean, I like shiny things too, don't get me wrong but really. 'A light?' You should outta fix that. Be more specific. And another thing—"

"It's not done, Dave," Rose replied curtly.

"Pfft, I know. But hear me out. Okay, you know how you took away her magic? Just let her keep it," Dave said.

Rose had to turn back to give Dave a confused stare. "But the new world doesn't have magic."

"Why? It doesn't really make sense if you think about it. I mean technically the only thing she's doing is moving to another planet, not the 7th circle of hell. There's so much drama about it too. If she was so miserable then she should have been ecstatic to leave the magic behind. But you made her sad about it, Rose. You made her sad. So this is my advice, my dearest author, let her keep the damn powers. Besides, it makes for a good cop-out if you have to end the thing prematurely."

"Must you always ask questions, Dave?" Rose said with a sigh.

"Must you always give your characters some sort of arch that'll be pointless anyhow since you never finish your stories?" Dave chimed back.

What was Rose expecting? Dave's actually a decent storyteller if one would take account of how he successfully depicts common story tropes in a surreal yet satirical nature. (Then again, it all can be complete bullshit but since Rose is prideful she isn't going to admit that she just can't tell anymore.)

"It says in the beginning, Dave. Ink: The story about a young witch in a world without magic."

"What about this instead? Ink: The incomplete story about a young witch with magical powers in a world without magic. Just add the magic in later, you know after she finds true love and what-not. Now that summary feels more like a fairy tale and less like a Shakespearean tragedy."

"It's not a fairy tale!" Rose huffed.

"Then, what the heck are you writing? It looks like a fairy tale to me. Witches, self-banishment, the implication of a happy ever after, the works," Dave replied. Rose desperately wanted to roll her eyes and simply ignore Dave for the rest of the period.

"I don't like fairy tales with happy endings," Rose said, her mouth mimicking the similar flat line expression of her editor.

"Make it abstract, let the reader interpret the ending themselves," Dave supplied.

"That's stupid," Rose said dejectedly. "I want this story to end the way I envision it to end."

"Whatever, fine. How do you want it to end?"

Rose looked away from Dave's knowing stare and glared at her notebook as if it had personally offended her. "Happy. I want it to end happy," she said with a long sigh. "I want this character to have hope in herself. I want her to find a family, and friends. I want the best for this character so much, it feels like I'm losing my mind over this. I really want to her story to be some sort of happy fairy tale bullcrap, but I don't want any part of this story to feel fake, Dave. I took her magic because I want her to feel like she could be a real person in our world. I think… I just want her to be real," she confessed.

Rose sought advice, which her friend had provided. Dave dared to question, but Rose was not always willing to give the answer without a fight. Indeed, why did Rose decide to take away the witch's magic? What was the purpose of this misery, when all Rose wants to do is to write a happystory. But real life was never happy. It's never always good.

"Then write that story, bro," Dave declared with his infinite wisdom. "Make her real."

"It's not that easy," Rose replied.

"Why?"

Rose attempted to answer, but found that she's been left speechless. Damn you, Dave. Rose can see the tiniest corner of his face twitch, and she instantly recognized it as a smirk.

"I suppose I can keep your notes in mind during my revision process," Rose mumbled.

"Awesome possum," Dave said in agreement. "Now if you have time, check out my latest comic entry. It's a fucking gold mine I tell you."

"You're such a unique person, Dave. I wish there were more people like you."

"Right?"

Rose can't help but feel exasperated. She's been writing the intro for ages, only to have it ripped apart by a few questions. But at least now, Rose felt a little more inspired to make this story come to life.

* * *

 _Jade felt empty, but at the same time she has never felt so calm. The grass is soft, and pleasant. The witch opens her eyes slowly and is happily surprised to have woken up in a forest. She rises quickly, and stumbles on her legs as she gains her bearings. Yes! She was in the new world. She can finally begin a new life._

 _Jade reaches with her arm and attempts to call a portal to the other realm, only to remember that this world does not have magic. It was drained, and released into the dark sky above. Suddenly, Jade shivers and remembers that she was alone in the forest._

 _Was this world dangerous? Did it have other creatures? She decides to be silent and listen to the world around her. In a world without magic, was there anything she can call a friend? However, the forest was quiet. Jade can only hear her own breathing and the sway of the tree branches caught in the breeze._

 _In her old world the sounds of nature were comforting, but now it was dreadful. It was agonizing reminder to how lonely Jade was._

 _Jade hates this._

 _Jade feels herself moving quickly through the woods. She navigates smoothly through the vegetation, avoiding the low branches and maneuvering around the jagged rocks. Her clothes were still burnt and one of her slippers had been lost in the sky. She ran faster._

 _She was tired of isolation. Tired of living in the forest alone. Jade wanted a warm bed. Jade wanted a friend. Jade wanted someone to call her by her name, and not the cursed one she's been known for all her life. Jade wanted to go home._

 _Finally, her feet reaches the end of the woods. Beyond it was a road, but it was different from the roads the village used. First of all this, road was smooth and completely clear of rough rocks. Secondly, it doesn't reek of horse or cattle. Cautiously, Jade stretches the shoeless foot forward and plants it on the foreign material._

 _It was surprisingly cool, and Jade couldn't resist the urge to smile brightly._

 _Roads must mean people! Someone made this. People are living here! Relief floods through Jade and she excitedly begins walking along the road._

* * *

School drones on, and Rose can feel nothing but agitation. The story is going great! (It's almost as if it's writing itself.) However, the author of said story is restless.

There's a storm of questions and the answers are taking shelter from the impending doom. She hasn't met the infamous Jade Harley everyone was so inclined to talk about. Then again, Jade has attended their school for a few months, so it's amazing how long Rose has gone without noticing her.

But apparently Jade notices Rose? What the heck was going on with Rose's (apparently active) school life? She was normally so attentive to the world around her. The only possible explanation to this was Jade avoided Rose, but still maintained a close enough distance to observe her. The theory is farfetched but it was the only one Rose could come up with.

Rose stopped all her actives and rested her head on the cool desk. She's been distracted before, but it was never this bad.

Rose opened up her personal notebook and flipped to the back. Tucked in the back of Rose's writing journal was the note Kanaya had found near Jade's locker. Rose lifted her head off from her desk and studied the paper carefully. It was creased and very worn out. It actually seemed to be a few years old, judging by the fading ink. Why would a teenage girl be caring this around so casually?

Then again, Rose _did_ bring an old summoning tome to school when she was twelve. Okay, so maybe Jade had a similar interest in arcane arts. That should explain the girl's curious fascination with Rose, and the note found in her locker. Mystery one: solved.

Now, what do these symbols mean? And what is this intended to do?

Rose hated not knowing, and more than anything Rose hated her own curiosity. She had so many questions, and can only make so many theories before she loses her patience and forces the answers from someone. Particularly the person who's the cause of all of this. Rose's head is spinning, and she absolutely hated how stressed she felt.

Great. It's best to ask Kanaya or John to teach her today's lesson over lunch. It's getting hard to think. Rose's eyes become blurry, then she see's nothing but black.

 **"What do you mean she disappeared?" A woman shrouded in gold. She's angry. (She's horrified.)**

 **This is not what she had predicted. No, this isn't right. It shouldn't be like this at all.**

 **The villagers push out a child covered in soot, and the woman scoffs. "Speak, boy," she commands. "And don't bother telling me about the wicked deeds you have done. It's evident in your eyes, in your hands. You beg for forgiveness but even a blind man can see that your soul is pitiful and no water can cleanse it. "**

 **He trembles, and cries. "Oh great Seer! We have done nothing wrong! The witch had stolen the children, and has tossed them into the forest without any care. If it weren't for the search party, we wouldn't have found them. Look how evil that woman was. Oh, great Seer! We have done nothing wrong! The witch lives with the Fae now, and we, the people of the living, are now free from her evil powers. It is not us! We have done nothing wrong!"**

 **The Seer turns her back. She should have done something to prevent the witch's fate. Her fist clenches, and her eyes fill with sorrow. She ignores the rest of the villagers and their pitiful calls for forgiveness. How could she have not seen this? Her vision was cloudy for she had been blinded by her foolish feelings.**

 **"This village will no longer be prosperous!" the woman roared. "You ignorant people. You, the people of the living, will no longer have peace and joy across your land. A dragon, a pirate, a thief, and a puppeteer will invade this place. Your witch, the one who has been banished, has been hiding this oasis for years with her powers. Now, you will live like us, the people of the Empress. And trust me when I say this, the Empress will not protect you like your witch has. Now, I will go! And you will never hear prophecies of fortune again."**

 **And the Seer mounted her white horse, and rode off into her tower hidden in the light.**

 **Deep in her mind, the Seer grieved. "My lovely Jade… Where have you gone?"**


End file.
